The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group

In the last decade, Corporate Responsibility (CR) has grown in both popularity and importance as an occupation and field of management, triggering appeals for the consolidation and standardisation of approaches, through the pursuit of professionalisation and accreditation for the field. However, CR...

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Main Author: Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary
Format: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/21813/
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author Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary
author_facet Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary
author_sort Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description In the last decade, Corporate Responsibility (CR) has grown in both popularity and importance as an occupation and field of management, triggering appeals for the consolidation and standardisation of approaches, through the pursuit of professionalisation and accreditation for the field. However, CR as a management discipline has been labeled both a nascent and dynamic phenomenon (e.g. Carroll, 1999). Thus, the formation of one, unified profession may be impossible. Furthermore, CR is boundary-spanning concept which impinges on an array of decision-making process and systems (DTI/CRG, 2003). Therefore, any change to the way CR is managed affects the behaviours, decisions and actions of CR practitioners across the board, and should be investigated thoroughly before its incorporation into business as usual. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the various practitioner and professional perceptions of the professionalisation of CR, in order to ascertain the next steps that the Corporate Responsibility Group (CRG) might take in their investigation of the case for the professionalisation of CR. Practitioners were generally supportive of professionalisation, and believed that CRG were capable of assuming the role of a professional body. However, they also highlighted the possibility of both positive and negative repercussions following the professionalisation process. While some of these issues could be overcome with the help of outside bodies such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and comparable professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), there are some structural and attitudinal changes which need to occur before CR is able to label itself a unified profession (see: Becker, 1962; Hall, 1969). The report therefore provides some recommendations that for a more extensive feasibility study by CRG, which will question whether the structural and attitudinal requirements of a profession can or should be reached, and ultimately whether CRG should offer its services as a professional body for CR practitioners and pursue the formation of professional standards through accreditation.
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spelling nottingham-218132022-03-21T16:05:00Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/21813/ The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary In the last decade, Corporate Responsibility (CR) has grown in both popularity and importance as an occupation and field of management, triggering appeals for the consolidation and standardisation of approaches, through the pursuit of professionalisation and accreditation for the field. However, CR as a management discipline has been labeled both a nascent and dynamic phenomenon (e.g. Carroll, 1999). Thus, the formation of one, unified profession may be impossible. Furthermore, CR is boundary-spanning concept which impinges on an array of decision-making process and systems (DTI/CRG, 2003). Therefore, any change to the way CR is managed affects the behaviours, decisions and actions of CR practitioners across the board, and should be investigated thoroughly before its incorporation into business as usual. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the various practitioner and professional perceptions of the professionalisation of CR, in order to ascertain the next steps that the Corporate Responsibility Group (CRG) might take in their investigation of the case for the professionalisation of CR. Practitioners were generally supportive of professionalisation, and believed that CRG were capable of assuming the role of a professional body. However, they also highlighted the possibility of both positive and negative repercussions following the professionalisation process. While some of these issues could be overcome with the help of outside bodies such as the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and comparable professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), there are some structural and attitudinal changes which need to occur before CR is able to label itself a unified profession (see: Becker, 1962; Hall, 1969). The report therefore provides some recommendations that for a more extensive feasibility study by CRG, which will question whether the structural and attitudinal requirements of a profession can or should be reached, and ultimately whether CRG should offer its services as a professional body for CR practitioners and pursue the formation of professional standards through accreditation. 2008 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/21813/1/08MAlixpb10.pdf Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary (2008) The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished) CSR Corporate social responsibility CR corporate responsibility CRG Corporate Responsibility Group professionalisation professionalization profession accreditation certification
spellingShingle CSR
Corporate social responsibility
CR
corporate responsibility
CRG
Corporate Responsibility Group
professionalisation
professionalization
profession
accreditation
certification
Bagley, Polly Elizabeth Mary
The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title_full The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title_fullStr The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title_full_unstemmed The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title_short The Professionalisation of CR: Ascertaining the Next Steps for the Corporate Responsibility Group
title_sort professionalisation of cr: ascertaining the next steps for the corporate responsibility group
topic CSR
Corporate social responsibility
CR
corporate responsibility
CRG
Corporate Responsibility Group
professionalisation
professionalization
profession
accreditation
certification
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/21813/